Cheaper flights

Unlike its competitors, the Oslo-based airline has found considerable success by flying across the Atlantic from cities including London and Paris for the past four years - and appears to have the likes of IAG worried. All airlines must impose air passenger duty of £75 each way, which Abta says is one reason the arrival of Level will not trigger a price war. The airline will also start flying from Barcelona to the US in June, around the same time that it begins services from Edinburgh, Belfast, Cork, Shannon and Dublin using Boeing single-aisle 737 aircraft. The airline has 100 of the planes on order, underlining the scale of its ambition. While putting bums on seats to the US in the summer months at prices as low as £135 each way should not be too difficult, Norwegian may find it more challenging to fill planes from regional cities in the autumn or winter, says one airlines analyst.